Thợ máy kiểm tra động cơ.

Vietnamese often leaves definiteness unstated unless context makes it necessary.

So thợ máy can mean:

• a mechanic
• the mechanic
• mechanics (in a general sense, depending on context)

And động cơ can mean:

• an engine
• the engine
• engines

In natural Vietnamese, context usually tells you which meaning is intended. If you really need to make something specific, Vietnamese can add other words, but in a simple sentence like this, bare nouns are very normal.

Yes, the basic order here is very similar to English:

• Thợ máy = subject
• kiểm tra = verb
• động cơ = object

So it follows:

Subject + Verb + Object

That is why this sentence feels fairly straightforward for an English speaker.

Thợ máy usually means mechanic.

Breakdown:

• thợ = worker, craftsman, skilled laborer
• máy = machine

So literally it is something like machine worker, but the natural English meaning is mechanic.

Depending on context, thợ máy can refer to someone who works with machines generally, but in many everyday contexts it is best understood as mechanic.

In this sentence, kiểm tra means to check, to inspect, or to examine.

It is a very common Vietnamese verb. In many contexts it can also function like a noun meaning inspection or check, depending on how it is used.

Here, though, it is clearly the main verb:

• Thợ máy = the mechanic
• kiểm tra = checks / is checking
• động cơ = the engine

So in this sentence, think of kiểm tra simply as check / inspect.

They are related, but not the same.

• máy = machine, device, apparatus
• động cơ = engine, motor

So động cơ is more specific. It refers to the mechanism that provides power or motion, such as an engine or motor.

That means thợ máy contains máy, but động cơ is a different word, not just a repetition of the same idea.

A rough guide:

• thợ máy ≈ tuh mai
• kiểm tra ≈ kee-um cha
• động cơ ≈ zawng guh in Northern speech, though the exact sound depends on dialect

A few important notes:

• Vietnamese is tonal, so pronunciation is not just about consonants and vowels.
• tr in tra is pronounced differently from English tr.
• đ is not the same as plain d in Vietnamese spelling.
• Southern and Northern pronunciations differ, especially with d, gi, r, and some vowel qualities.

If you are learning standard Northern Vietnamese, it is best to listen carefully to native audio rather than relying only on English-style approximations.

Vietnamese verbs do not change form the way English verbs do. Kiểm tra stays the same.

So by itself, the sentence could mean different things depending on context:

• The mechanic checks the engine
• The mechanic is checking the engine
• The mechanic checked the engine

If you want to make the time clearer, Vietnamese often adds time words or aspect markers such as:

• đã for past
• đang for ongoing action
• sẽ for future

For example:

• Thợ máy đang kiểm tra động cơ. = The mechanic is checking the engine.
• Thợ máy đã kiểm tra động cơ. = The mechanic checked the engine.

Yes, it can, depending on context.

Because Vietnamese often uses bare nouns without articles or plural marking, Thợ máy kiểm tra động cơ can sometimes be interpreted in a general or habitual sense:

• Mechanics check engines
• A mechanic checks an engine
• The mechanic is checking the engine

Context tells you which reading is most natural. If this sentence appears by itself in a textbook, it is often presented as a simple subject + verb + object example rather than a fully context-fixed statement.

Vietnamese nouns normally do not change form for singular or plural.

So:

• thợ máy can mean mechanic or mechanics
• động cơ can mean engine or engines

If needed, Vietnamese can show quantity in other ways, for example with numbers or quantity words. But in a simple sentence like this, no plural marker is required.

Not here.

Classifiers are common in Vietnamese, but they are mainly used when a noun is counted, specified, or introduced in certain ways.

For example, if you say one engine, you would normally use a classifier:

• một cái động cơ

But in Thợ máy kiểm tra động cơ, động cơ is just the direct object of the verb, so no classifier is needed.

Yes, but it changes the feel slightly.

• thợ máy is the normal, compact way to say mechanic
• người thợ máy is more explicit, something like the mechanic person / the worker who is a mechanic, though the natural English translation is still just mechanic

In most ordinary sentences, thợ máy is enough. Adding người is possible, but often unnecessary.

Most often, it is check or inspect.

For this sentence, The mechanic checks the engine or The mechanic inspects the engine both work well.

It is less specifically test unless the context is about running trials or performance testing. So kiểm tra is a broad word for examining something to see its condition, correctness, or status.

Not in a normal statement like this.

The standard structure is:

Subject + Verb + Object

So:

• Thợ máy kiểm tra động cơ = correct

If you move động cơ before the verb, it would no longer be a normal basic sentence of the same type. Vietnamese can front words for emphasis in some contexts, but that is a more advanced pattern and not the default form you should learn first.